Happily Ever After
by Life of the Planet
Summary: Takes place after Breaking Dawn, beginning with the day after the Volturi leave. This is a story about Bella and Edward's happily ever after. No more enemies, no new threats; just an eternity of love, joy, and family.
1. Prologue: The Morning After

_Hey, all! This is Life of the Planet, A.K.A. The Wesker Child (I change my name from time to time). After reading the Twilight Saga, I have continuously searched for a story detailing what comes after Breaking Dawn. While there are, of course, numerous stories, I have yet to find one that contains no new threats to the Cullen Family, such as a new vampire enemy or the Volturi returning; in Jacob's words, "I guess things are going to be kind of boring now, aren't they?" So, I decided to write my own. The story will, like Stephanie Meyer's books, be written entirely from Bella's POV, (beginning with the day after Breaking Dawn), feature other characters besides Bella and Edward, and will be written (to best of my ability) in Meyer's style used in the books. I always appreciate constructive criticism, but no flames please. The world of Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer, without whom this story would never exist._

Happily Ever After

Prologue: The Morning After

I opened my eyes to the sound of a small body shifting in the adjacent room.

While it is, of course, technically impossible for a vampire to sleep, after the events of the previous day, I had felt worn-out and wanted only to relax. I knew my beautiful daughter, Renesmee, needed sleep much more than I did. As a vampire-human hybrid, she still required such menial things that I did not, like food and sleep.

I sighed happily, smiling to myself. Wrapped in a set of strong arms, I shifted to look over at their owner. Edward Cullen...my boyfriend, husband, lover, and so much more. His amber yellow eyes gazed down into mine.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

I grinned. "The million dollar question" I teased, remembering the countless times he had asked me that.

Focusing, I brought my shield inwards, allowing Edward access into my mind. I had only recently discovered this ability last night and was still struggling to perfect it. My mind centered on the celebration that had taken place in the clearing after the Volturi had left. I remembered Emmett and Rosalie kissing passionately, the way that Esme locked Alice and Jasper in a hug that made me think she would never let go. I remembered the three-person embrace between myself, Edward and Renessmee, how I had finally conceded to calling her "Nessie"...

Edward's laugh interrupted my thoughts, ending the memories as I looked back up at him to see my favorite crooked grin on his perfect face.

"It's finally over?" I asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it anyway.

Edward nodded beside me. "It's finally over" he assured me, leaning down to press his lips to mine.

This is where our "Happily Ever After" begins.


	2. Chapter 1: The First Day of Forever

Chapter 1: The First Day of Forever

We lay there together for what felt like a minute, despite being three hours, before I heard a tiny yawn coming from the other room.

I smiled, rising from the bed and dressing myself, Edward doing the same. Once I was sure that I looked presentable, I opened the door to my daughter's room.

There she sat on her little bed, just waiting for us, a sleepy expression on her face. Upon seeing me, she seemed to perk right up, a small smile expanding into a big grin as she jumped off her bed and ran right into my arms.

I couldn't help grinning as I held her tight, sighing happily. I still found it hard to believe that this beautiful little angel was _mine_. I had never really given much thought to a family before realizing that I was pregnant, but I had certainly never expected such a miracle to occur.

Turning towards Edward, I saw that his face matched my own, happiness and bliss radiating from every corner. Still carrying the half-awake Renesmee, I followed Edwards over to the closet in her room, though _closet_ seemed like a bit of an understatement. _Miniature wardrobe_ was more appropriate.

While it was nowhere near as large as the closet that held my clothes, it was still a bit over-sized for a little girl. Of course, I could hardly expect anything else when Renesmee was sure to grow faster than a weed and her hyperactive aunt's primary focus was fashion.

After the three of us were properly dressed, we made our way to the larger house some distance away. Grandpa Carlisle's house, as Nessie called it, which always sounded so sweet in her innocent, clear voice.

As we walked through the woods and leapt over the familiar little river, I asked Nessie what she would like for breakfast. Putting her tiny hand on my face, she mentally showed me a picture of a large stag in the woods.

I sighed. I had no way of knowing if this would get any easier. If Edward had claimed that he was frightened when I first hunted, that was _nothing_ compared to how I felt every time my little baby ate. It was all I could do to remind myself that she was half-vampire, and therefore indestructible.

So, the three of us decided to hunt for breakfast before continuing on to Grandpa Carlisle's. As always, Edward amazed me with his speed, taking down two mountain lions, one after the other. After satiating my thirst with a grizzly bear, Edward remarked that Emmett would be proud. Nessie got her stag, even though it was harder to find; if a stag was what she wanted, then her parents would get her a stag.

With the three of us properly fed (I was beginning to surprise myself with how casually I felt about our "vegetarian" lifestyle, especially considering how I once wondered if I would ever be able to feel so cavalier about it), we entered the Cullen house.

I barely had time time to smell her coming before Alice bounded down the stairs, wrapping me and Nessie in an embrace that seemed too large for her tiny, pixie-like frame.

"Good morning!" she chirped excitedly.

I couldn't tell if this was just Alice being Alice, or she was just happy to be home, but I was willing to bet that it was a bit of both.

"We should stay away longer if this is our greeting after one day" remarked Edward, grinning.

Alice pouted. "I was gone for more than one day" she reminded him.

"And I have all of eternity to hold a grudge against you for worrying me" I reminded her, grinning as well.

"_Bel-la! _I thought you had forgiven me!" whined Alice, putting on her trademark ice-melting face.

I was spared from answering by Carlisle, who, upon entering, had to open his arms wide to accomodate the happy little girl who raced toward him.

"Grandpa Carlisle!" Nessie shrieked happily, giggling.

I couldn't keep myself from laughing either, both in joy and relief. The Volturi were gone, and our lives were no longer in danger. This was the first day of forever.


	3. Chapter 2: The Storm

Chapter 2: The Storm

It was after lunchtime-or rather, after Nessie had eaten lunch-that I smelled it. As a vampire, it's amazing what the smallest, most insignificant odor can do. In this case, my heightened senses applied to more than just the smell of a person's blood. There was a change in the atmosphere, a slight increase in the moisture of the air that grew wetter with every passing second.

I was no psychic, but I knew that it was going to rain. Hard.

A grin slowly built itself up on my face. If it was going to rain, then that meant...

"_YES!_ Thank you, Bella!" exclaimed Alice, surprising me by quickly throwing her tiny arms around me.

"Um...what did I do?" I asked, bewildered.

"Silly! I didn't even see anything happening until you decided we were going to play ball today!" Alice explained, her tone that of a person explaining first grade math.

"What, nobody else thought of playing baseball today?" I asked my family, looking around the parlor.

"You just got there first, little sis" answered Emmett, grinning. "I'm sure one of us would have piped up if you didn't jump the gun".

"Doesn't matter who came up with the idea, we're gonna play baseball, and it's going to be Bella's first game since becoming a vampire, and Nessie can watch her mom and dad play..." Alice went on breathlessly, and I mean that in a literal sense, as Alice would likely never bother to pause for breath even if she were human.

Suddenly, Alice broke off, a stern look coming over her face as she turned to me, glaring.

I sighed. "What did I do now?" I asked. Better to get it over with.

"My vision of our game just vanished" replied Alice, still glaring. "_Vanished_, Bella. Is there something you'd like to tell us? Maybe inviting a few _werewolves_ to play?"

I honestly couldn't see what she was so upset about. It's not like the treaty was still in effect; no one wanted to rip each other's throat out...well, _almost_ no one; Rosalie still wasn't as friendly to Jacob as I was. That would take some time.

I shrugged. "Is that a bad idea?"

Alice gave me her heart-melting face again. "Bella, if I can't see during the game, how is my team supposed to win?" She said this, again, like it should have been obvious to anyone with half a brain cell.

Her words brought my memory of my first baseball game with the Cullens to the front of my mind, and I remembered something that Esme had said, which brought a big grin to my face. Naturally, everyone noticed.

Jasper looked like he was having trouble holding his face together, as well, but he probably didn't know why. I felt it was best to show mercy.

"You should hear the arguments they get into! Actually, I hope you don't, you would think they were raised by a pack of wolves." I repeated in a surprisingly accurate version of Esme's voice, remembering my first Cullen family game, unable to hold back my laughter now.

The rest of the family joined me, knowing how true Esme's words were.

"At least this time no homicidal vampires will show up, right?" I asked.

"It's certainly less likely" admitted Edward, slightly wincing at the memory of my first encounter with a hunting vampire.

Alice sighed. "Fine, since you obviously want to play _by the rules_ your first time around"-the way Alice said _by the rules_ made it clear that she thought it was anything but fair-"we'll invite Jacob and the Quileutes."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Oh joy" she muttered. "I get to play ball with the dogs".

Sighing, I tried to keep the peace. "At least you don't have to hold back in the game, right?" I asked.

That seemed to improve her mood considerably.

So, it was decided. This afternoon, the baseball game of the century would go down: Vampires vs. Werewolves.

I could hardly wait.


	4. Chapter 3: The Game

_Well, the votes are in, and Cullen Family wins by three votes. I was kind of hoping for more people to vote, but I realize that's also asking a bit much this early on in the story. I decided not to post a new chapter for a week just to give people time to vote (as Bella said in New Moon, "A week is generous".) Also, I know little to nothing about baseball, so please bear with me. Here's the next chapter: the baseball game between the Cullens and the Quileutes._

Chapter 3: The Game

Thanks to my generosity in deciding to invite our shape-shifting wolf friends (I rolled my eyes every time Alice complained of blindness), we had to resort to the old-fashioned method of knowing the weather. That's right: the family of vampires was now situated in the living room, watching the weather report for tonight.

"These reports hardly ever get it right" complained Emmett as the weatherman predicted a light rain in sharp contrast to the now noticeable level of humidity outside.

"Well, judging by our own built-in weather predictors" replied Jasper, referencing our heightened senses, "I'd say that it'll be a heavy rain, but with little to no thunder or lightning."

I smiled, again remembering my first game, which was relatively dry. "You think we should bring along an umbrella this time? For Renesmee."

My beautiful daughter answered my question by showing me a picture of her enjoying the rain. It felt good, how it soaked into her hair, and she stuck out her tongue to catch falling raindrops. It was amusing (and also a relief) that there were some things she had in common with other children that were, at least physically, her own age.

Edward smiled. "I take that as a 'no', then" he said, having received the same image.

Carlisle got up from the comfy armchair, straightening up. "I'd better go check on the equipment" he informed us. "Make sure it's ready to be beaten around by a bunch of vampires and overgrown wolves" he clarified, grinning.

And so it was at 7:30 PM that our family marched onto the wide-open field that had once been the site for another baseball game. I grinned, remembering Nessie's squeals of joy as she had clutched tightly to my back while I ran through the woods to get here. It was in sharp contrast to my experience on Edward's back. I had been terrified of hitting a tree and getting sick, two things that always seemed ridiculous when compared to the fact that you're riding a vampire piggyback.

On the other side of the field, six large boys and one girl strode out to meet their opponents. The opposing team tonight consisted of Jacob, Leah, Jared, Quil, Embry, Paul, and Seth.

"A baseball game between the vamps and the wolves...never saw this coming" joked Jacob.

"It was Bella's idea" scowled Rosalie, still annoyed that she had to play baseball with the wolves, even if they were on opposite teams.

As per usual, Esme opted to sit out and referee. Nessie sat beside her, wanting to see her parents in action. Our side was up to bat first, and everyone on my team insisted I go first. Naturally, I knew the reason behind this: as a human, I had always been constantly off-balance. As Edward once put it, I couldn't walk across a flat surface without finding something to trip over. This, of course, carried over into events such as sports and (I shuddered to think about it) _dancing_. As a vampire, my center of gravity had now improved greatly, and I was eager to test out my new strength, especially after beating Emmett in an arm-wrestling contest.

Jake flung the ball toward me with all the speed of a gun firing a bullet. It wasn't fast enough, and the ball seemed to move in slow motion, allowing me to place my bat at just the right angle to send the ball flying into the woods. I could have easily bunted the ball if I wanted to, but I wanted to show off for my first game. I didn't disappoint; as I raced across the field towards third base, I heard Renessmee clapping excitedly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Leah throw the ball to Seth, who then raced to beat me to third base. Seth was closer to third than I was, I had to make a split-second decision. I settled for second instead.

Standing on second, I looked over at Edward. His expression indicated he was beyond impressed that he had a wife who could now keep up with him in every aspect of his life. That only added to the happiness I felt at finally being a member of the family, in every way possible. It wasn't just baseball; it was that I wasn't a fragile human anymore. I didn't need protecting anymore; I was finally an equal.

Jasper was up next, and as he waited for Jacob to throw the ball, I detected a strange glint in his eye. Remembering what Esme had said, I was glad that I had warned Jake beforehand about the boys cheating. I knew Jasper was using his ability to try and make Jacob slip up, and judging by Jacob's look on intense concentration on his face, it didn't seem to be working.

Like me, Jasper swung the bat with incredible speed and hit the ball out of the field. He raced towards me and I sprinted to third, crossing it and making it home. Jasper wasn't so lucky. I finally understood what Jacob meant when he said that Leah was the fastest wolf in the pack after seeing her tag Jasper out the moment he reached third base. Even as a human, her speed was on par with our own. This would be an interesting game.

By the time we were at bat for the third time, the score was tied 6-6 (we had agreed that the game would end at 7 points, with each home run giving the team a point, and each out taking away a point). If we got a home run, the game would be over.

I was once again amazed at the speed of the Quileutes; even in their human forms they managed to keep up with us effortlessly. At first, we had managed to gain the lead with 3-2. All that had changed when the wolves went up to bat. They seemed to have become quick-change artists; the instant one of them hit the ball, he or she would immediately change into a wolf mere seconds after flinging off their T-shirt and sweat pants. I managed not to think too hard about this, successfully distracting those thoughts by watching the giant wolves race around the field. Edward managed to get Jacob and Paul out, but Leah slipped through his fingers, just as she did when Emmett chased after as well.

It seemed that if Paul was the pack's equivalent to Emmett in terms of strength, Leah definitely matched Edward in speed. Neither of them seemed to be able to get the other out, and if it had been one-on-one, there was no telling when the game would end.

Rosalie went up to bat, grinning viciously at Jacob. She had been in better spirits after eluding his reach repeatedly and getting a home run, making the score 4-5. Then the wolves had gained a home run when Seth eluded Alice and crossed home plate. Because he was younger, Seth seemed to match Alice's nimble stride just as much as Leah matched Edward for speed.

Jacob once again flung the ball forward, as hard as he could. I could tell he put all his strength into this one because of who was at bat. I just hoped that those two could channel their mutual dislike for each other into the game.

I was right...in a way.

Rosalie swung the bat in a lightning-fast arc that sent the ball flying right at Jacob, who was forced to quicky duck out of the way. Rosalie then raced past first base, quickly crossed second, and she was on her way to third base when Jacob beat her to it. Making a mad dash, the giant, russet brown wolf had the ball in his mouth and fierce determination in his eyes. He leapt over Rosalie's head and landed directly in front of her, planting himself squarely on third base.

Rosalie quickly halted herself, surprise and disbelief in her eyes, which quickly turned to fury when she realized what had happened. Jacob grinned, dropping the ball on the plate before running back to the pitcher's mound where he phased back into a human and clothed himself almost simultaneously.

The score was now 5-6 with the Quileutes in the lead. Alice went up to bat, and not for the first time, I felt a slight tinge of worry upon seeing her tiny form in the midst of so many powerful figures. This also had something to do with the fact that she held an aluminum baseball that was wider than one of her arms. Confidently, the tiny pixie-like vampire swung the bat with one hand, catching the ball thrown by Jacob in an upward swing. The ball went flying in an overhead arc, and Alice daintily floated across the field at a speed that always surprised me for someone so small. She crossed in home plate, effortlessly dodging around Paul and Embry in a similar way to how she had dodged Jasper's "attacks" during the training session at the time of the newborn vampire crisis.

The score was once again 6-6. If we scored here, the game would end, but if we got an out, the Quileutes would have their chance to end the game. It was now or never.

Carlisle stepped up to bat, and Jacob flung the ball forward with all his strength; he was in it to win it. Carlisle showed no mercy as he swung his bat with his full strength behind it. Emmett may be the strongest member of our family, but Carlisle is by no means a lightweight. The ball went flying into the woods, and a loud _crack_ was heard, followed by the audible _crash_ of a falling tree. Leah leapt out of the greenery, ball in mouth, and chased after Carlisle with an urgency that was almost frightening. The head of our family had just crossed second base and was about to cross third when Leah leapt at him. Carlisle just barely managed to slide onto third base before Leah got to him.

I stared in shock. Leah was not to be underestimated when it came to speed, and in this game, that could easily be the deciding factor. Fortunately, Carlisle had made it to third base; regardless of who was up to bat next, the game was already over. Even if one of our own only made it to first base, it would still buy the time needed to get Carlisle home.

The wolves knew this, and the fire in their eyes seemed to have died down, replaced with a grim resignation to see the game through to its end.

It was Emmett who hit the ball out of the field, felling another tree and racing to second base as Carlisle made it home. The game was over, with the Cullen Family triumphant.

With the game over, the vampires and the wolves lined up on the field to give each other handshakes and act like overall good sports. Only Rosalie seemed to show any real reluctance, dropping her hand a second after the initial shake.

"She warms up to you...eventually" I told Jake, grinning.

"I thought you guys only ran on the cold side of the thermometer" he joked back.

Nessie had enjoyed most of the game, but she had slowly fallen asleep on Grandma Esme's lap. Taking a peek into her dreams, I could see that she was envisioning the game, abstract colors moving everywhere, with different, disjointed silhouettes flying around as if dancing.

As we made our way back home, I actually couldn't help but laugh. Edward looked at me as if I were crazy, and for a moment, I thought I might be.

"You once said that I couldn't walk across a flat, stable surface without finding something to trip over" I reminded him, once again thinking of my past life.

He grinned, knowing where I was going with this. "And now look at you! Excelling at the American pastime! Bella Swan playing baseball and discovering that she's good at it!" he shook his head in disbelief. "What has the world come to?"

I rolled my eyes, smirking. He was right, though: as a vampire, I had a near-perfect sense of balance now. I never would have confided this to him when I was still human, but something seemed to be more and more apparent (to me, at least): contrary to Edward's former beliefs about vampires, my new life seemed to be the perfect cure for the curse of clumsiness I had once had to endure.

_Like it? Hate it? Needs some work? Fine the way it is? Please read and review!_


	5. Chapter 4: A Family Occasion

_Sorry about the wait; I've been fighting a case of writer's block. Thanks to Mimozka for giving me an idea! The Twilight Saga belongs to Stephanie Meyer, without whom this story would not exist._

Chapter 4: A Family Occasion

The next day, I decided to do something special for Edward and Renesmee. We spent all of our time with the rest of the family now, so I knew a peaceful getaway would be welcome every once in a while.

Alice, of course, had leapt when I told her my plan-literally. She was as eager as ever to help, and because I was still a newborn, it was welcome.

So here we were again-the meadow. It was exactly the same as it had been my first time here with Edward. A perfect circle, the meadow's flowers continued to grow in various colors, and the sun still illuminated the beautiful little haven.

Edward put Renesmee down and let her look around. Like any little girl, she gasped and cooed with wonder, her eyes shining bright. She giggled as multi-colors butterflies flew around her, her little voice sounding like a tinkling of bells in the air. In the light of the sun, both my skin and Edward's glittered like a thousand diamonds embedded in stone. But because our child was half-human, her skin only glowed faintly. It wasn't the same radiance, but the image was no less beautiful.

As Nessie played in the meadow, I laid out the large checkered cloth on the ground and sat down on it, Edward joining me. Renesmee ran over and hopped into my lap, giggling and causing me to do the same.

"So this is the big surprise?" asked Edward, one eyebrow arching. "A picnic?"

"Surprise!" I answered, pulling a wine bottle out of the basket along with two glasses. I had also packed a plastic cup for Renesmee, as I knew she'd be thirsty, as well.

Pulling off the cork, I pulled the liquid into our glasses, the fluid a deep red and thick in texture. As soon as it began to flow, Edward's eyes widened, and his lips began to crack into a smile. I could see he was fighting not to laugh, and failing.

"Was this your idea?" he asked, no longer fighting the urge to laugh.

"Yes, but Alice assisted with gathering the 'wine'" I answered, smiling. "I think the three of us prefer mountain lion most, don't you?"

Edward shook his, rolling his eyes as he drank from his glass. "And to think that you didn't know if you could ever be as 'cavalier' as we are about our diet" he teased.

"Well it certainly seems easier once you experience it firsthand" I admitted, drinking from my own glass.

It seemed that blood, like wine, tasted slightly better when aged, even if for only a few hours.

"So you're exposing our daughter to alcohol when she's not even a year old." Edward shook his head in mock horror.

"Yes, whatever will we do? My Mother of the Year award just went out the window" I teased back, sighing dramatically.

When we had drank our fill, the three of us lay on the picnic blanket, enjoying the sunshine and the beauty of the meadow. Because of our skin, we normally couldn't be out in the sun like this. The meadow seemed to be the one place we could enjoy the light and the warmth without starting a mass panic.

I had always thought of the meadow as a magical place, a testament to the fairy tale my life had become since meeting Edward. Even when he had left me, the meadow was one of my few ties to him and his family. I had met Laurent there, and the Quileute wolves had saved my life afterward. Edward and I had discussed our future together, with me telling him that I had _wanted_ to make our wedding an event. Now, even as a vampire, it was hard not to equate the meadow with our little cottage. To me, both places seemed proof enough that my life with Edward, even as a human, had always been a fairy tale rather than a horror story like he had once thought.

"Remember when you brought me here the first time?" I asked, recalling the memory in my mind and lowering my shield for him to see.

"How could I forget?" he answered, kissing my head, a smile in his voice.

"You thought you were a monster because of what you could do" I accused playfully. "Despite the fact that you looked like a diamond-embedded marbel sculpture."

"And you showed me that I could be good...by _making_ me be good" he answered, still wearing my favorite crooked smile. "It was because _you_ believed that I could be good that _I_ began to believe."

I looked down at Renesmee, who was gazing up at us, carefully following the conversation.

"And this is where we first realized our love for each other" I told our beautiful little angel.

Nessie's little face lit up in a bright, beautiful grin as she touched both my hand and Edward's. Her image was of the two of us, me and Edward, sitting together in the meadow, our skin shining brightly. More than that, the emotions that she included in the vision...it was hard not to feel happy.

I nodded, adding "This has always been our special place. It's yours now, too." I kissed my baby angel on the head, watching as she modified her vision to include herself sitting with the two of us. It was a perfect copy of our family outing.

I couldn't help but smile, couldn't bring myself to feel anything but happiness. This was our perfect little moment, I thought, laying back on the blanket and closing my eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin. Edward did the same, with Renesmee between us. Our perfect little moment, just the three of us.


	6. Chapter 5: Preparations and Planning

_Hello, dear readers! I apologize for the delay in my story, but with finals coming up I've been busy. Anyway, I've decided to skip ahead a few weeks in the story because, honestly, it will be harder for me to write and will progress more slowly if I make the story a day-by-day thing. Relax, you're not missing anything big; I just don't want to put down each and every second of what's happening, you know? Anyway, I figured I'd make two special chapters for all you Alice/Jasper fans out there. enjoy!_

Chapter 5: Preparations and Planning

My mind continued to process, in vain, the events that led me to this trip. How had I been talked into this? I desperately tried to remember, and because of my enhanced vampire mind, I realized with a shock that I must not have been paying close enough attention. This is what you get, I told myself.

So my reward for tuning Alice out a week earlier was a shopping trip on Valentine's Day with Rosalie, Renesmee, and Alice in Port Angeles. Instead of spending the day with Edward, I was now looking through various dresses, each sporting a healthy layer of lace.

"Why am I doing this, again?" I asked Alice, who was currently eyeing a sky-blue dress with interest.

"Because I took advantage of your distraction to talk you into being my maid of honor" Alice explained in a tone that indicated she had explained this a thousand times.

"You could be more cheerful, Bella" remarked Rosalie as she helped Nessie look through smaller dresses. "Everyone's going to be looking at Alice this time. You had your fun, now it's her turn."

"I distinctly remember Alice having more fun at _my_ wedding, too" I laughed.

Alice pouted. "You didn't like your wedding?" she asked, giving me her trademark puppy-eyed look.

"Well, it doesn't seem like I had as much say in the matter as I would have liked" I admitted. "When I let you be the wedding planner, I didn't realize I was giving you full reign."

"But you loved it anyway, right? Honestly, sometimes I think everyone around you knows you better than you know yourself, Bella!" Alice said, shaking her head exasperatedly.

I suppose I could have conceded that she was right about that; my wedding _had _been perfect with Alice in charge. Of course, I wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of that knowledge.

After picking out a dress for myself, Rosalie and I picked out a small white one for Renesmee. Rosalie had selected a dark green piece for herself, which had the added benefit of ruffles around the open neckline. Emmett would be unable to contain himself when he saw her in this, I thought.

Naturally, my own dress wasn't anything to be ashamed of, either. I was mostly going for the conservative look, anyway: it was a dark red, coming down to my ankles with lace on the end of each sleeve. The neckline of the dress was slightly open, less so than Rosalie's, anyway. A part of me wondered if I was beginning to feel more adventurous since becoming a vampire.

Alice, of course, had refused to let _anyone_ see her dress, insisting on handling that particular detail herself. Taking into account her knack for seeing the future, I felt lucky that she let Rosalie and me handle the decorations.

Back at our cottage, after putting Renesmee down for a nap, Edward and I examined my dress, laid out on the bed next to Renesmee's.

"Too much exposure?" I wondered, looking at the plunging "V" shape worriedly.

Edward barked out a laugh. "Bella, if being a member of this family has taught me anything, it's that Rosalie's dresses always have the most exposure. Not that you have anything to worry about; you always look beautiful regardless of what you wear."

Satisfied, I turned my attention to Renesmee's little white dress. Both sleeves had little lace flowers around each cuff, with additional flowers in various places on the dress itself.

"Not too showy, I guess" I remarked, trying to look at the two dresses from an unbiased perspective and failing.

"At least you're not dressed in military garb" Edward joked.

"Ladies love a man in uniform" I teased back.

"I'm not sure I can forgive Alice for stealing you away from me on Valentine's Day" admitted Edward, wearing a conspiratorial look on his face.

"Oh, how will I ever earn your forgiveness?" I asked in mock-horror.

"I have a few ideas" he replied, grinning.

Happy Valentine's Day, indeed, I thought happily.

When I walked into the Cullen's house the next day with Edward and Renesmee, I understood Edward's enthusiasm. Charlie had been uncomfortable enough when he was fitted for a suit at _my_ wedding. Some things never change, I thought to myself, recognizing both the familiar gray tuxedo and the grumpy man wearing it. At least Alice was fitting him; that seemed to at keep him sociable.

"Oh, hey Bells" he grunted as Alice measured him.

"Have you been putting on weight, Charlie?" Alice teased.

"Homemade fish fry is a family recipe" Charlie defended, referring to Sue Clearwater. "Tastes just like Harry made it."

At this, Charlie's face fell a little, and of course I knew why: Harry Clearwater had been one of Charlie's closest friends. He had died of a heart attack around the same time that I had suddenly decided to go cliff diving during the Cullens' absence. I tried not to think about the consequences of _that_ little stunt, instead turning my thoughts back to the present.

"You didn't look silly at my wedding, and you certainly don't look silly now, Dad" I assured him. "You still look quite debonair."

"Ha, ha..." muttered Charlie grumpily. "Why don't you go talk to Renee and leave me alone?"

_That_ stopped me in my tracks. "Mom's...here?" I asked slowly.

"Phil couldn't make it this time around" he added, before nodding towards the stairs, then looking deliberately at me, and Renesmee. I didn't need Edward to tell me where his thoughts had gone: he didn't know the whole story, but at least he had been told enough. Renee hadn't even met Nessie; what was I going to tell her?

I felt Edward's hand on my shoulder, and he whispered in my ear "Need to know, Bella. Just like with Charlie; you can do this."

I nodded, and took a deep breath to steady myself before climbing the stairs.

The Cullens' bathroom more closely resembled the backstage dressing room of a theater than an actual restroom. Rosalie stood in front of the mirror, needlessly admiring her dress while Esme finished measuring Renee. I took Renesmee out of Edward's arms and he went off to join Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle. Taking another deep breath, I made myself visible.

"Oh, Bella! You look...beautiful!" exclaimed Renee, momentarily caught off guard by my new appearance. At least she still recognized me, I told myself. The last time I had seen my mother was at my wedding. I was even less unsure of how she'd react to Renesmee.

"Hey, Mom" I greeted her with a smile. I placed Renesmee in the chair next to Rosalie.

"This is Renesmee...or Nessie, for short" I explained, introducing my half-vampire daughter to my mother. Best to get it over with, I told myself.

"Renesmee...such a beautiful name" gushed Renee. Then she turned to me, her eyes slightly widening. "Bella...is she..."

"She's Edward's niece" I quickly cut her off. "Edward's brother was adopted, too. When he and his wife died in a car accident, and the courts located us and we got Nessie." I surprised myself with how easily the lies seemed to flow from my mouth.

As Renee continued to gaze at my beautiful baby girl, I realized with a start that Renesmee seemed to take all of this in stride. She knew that Renee, like Charlie, was on a need-to-know basis. Even at such a young age physically, Nessie's mental prowess continued to amaze me.

"Um...why don't we talk outside?" I suggested. "Let Rosalie and Esme help Nessie with her dress?"

Renee reluctantly tore her eyes away from Nessie, following me outside. I sighed, turning back to my mother, who seemed more human than ever now.

"Bella...you look different." Renee observed, a tiny hint of fear in her otherwise admiring eyes. She quickly assured me, "Not in a bad way, just..."

I held up my hand to stop her. "I know, Mom...let me explain."

And so I began to tell my mother what Jacob had told Charlie: that I had gotten sick on my honeymoon, that I had needed to change during the process of getting better, and that I couldn't go into too much detail.

When I had finished, I worried that I had given her a heart attack as I watched her stand there, looking at me silently. I could almost picture the different scenarios racing through her head, and I remembered discussing this moment with Charlie. We had both decided that Renee was too faint-hearted for this, but it didn't seem like I had been given much choice.

Finally, Renee's face broke into a grin, and she surprised me with a hug. I carefully hugged her back, not wanting break my own mother, and I heard her whisper something my ear.

"I love you, Bella. If this is what you want, if this makes you happy, then go for it. I meant what I said about you marrying Edward, and I mean it now."

I was beyond shocked. Here was Renee, clumsy, forgetful, childlike Renee, being confronted with the fact that her daughter had changed in a way that couldn't _possibly_ be natural. And her response was that she wanted me to be happy.

I could only think of one response: "Thanks, Mom...I love you too."

Later that night, Edward and I lay in bed together in our cottage, with Renesmee sound asleep in her room. I sighed.

"It was Alice, wasn't it?"

"Well, she _is_ in charge of the guest list..." Edward trailed off.

"Between her and Jacob, we may as well just tell the whole town!" I exclaimed, equal parts angry and grateful, the same emotions that I had felt when Jacob brought Charlie over.

"Yes, but you forget: Alice has the added benefit of knowing what happens" Edward reminded me. "She _knew_ it would turn out alright; Jacob was just being reckless."

"It doesn't change the fact that she didn't tell _me_ about it first" I muttered angrily.

"She knew you would have said no" he answered "And then she would have gone ahead and done it anyway. By now, you should know better than to bet against Alice."

I couldn't think of a suitable argument for that.

_There you go, folks! Chapter 5 is up! It's only part 1, though; stay tuned for Chapter 6: The Big Day! Please review; I'm always open to ideas and suggestions!_


	7. Chapter 6: The Big Day

_The big day is here! This chapter goes out to all Alice/Jasper fans out there! Hope you enjoy! I do not own the Twilight Saga._

Chapter 6: The Big Day

The big day was almost here, although it seemed to have come rather quickly despite being a whole three weeks since the shopping trip to Port Angeles. I was now stalking a mountain lion in the woods alongside my sisters. Sisters...as close as we had become, the term would still take some getting used to. Alice had decided that Renesemee was too young for a bachelorette party...despite the fact that, like Edward's bachelor party, we were just hunting like usual. The boys were, of course, engaging in the same activity, but in another neck of the woods altogether. Bachelor and bachelorette parties should not be in the same room, Alice had said. I briefly wondered how much more ridiculous she could get about weddings before telling myself I didn't really want to know.

After drinking my fill, I leaned against a tree, watching Alice fall from above onto the back of another mountain lion, pinning it to the forest floor and quickly snapping its neck.

"At least you're having fun" I remarked, grinning.

"And you're not?" Alice asked curiously.

"Actually, I was thinking more about your fiance" I answered.

"Bella, what did you do?" she asked me, horror-struck.

"I just told Edward to give Jasper the same treatment he received for _his_ bachelor party. I hear Jasper didn't make it easy for him" I answered, shrugging.

"Bella, what did Jasper ever do to you?" Alice asked in the tone of a child who has been punished for a good deed.

"He took Edward away from me" I answered stubbornly, knowing I sounded like a child who has just been denied their favorite toy. Then, before Alice could reply, I quickly changed the subject. "I was a little surprised that you decided to include the Quileutes in the invitation."

"As was I" growled Rosalie after her merciless slaughter of a helpless grizzly bear was complete. "Really, Alice...what are you thinking?"

Alice shrugged, unashamed. "The Clearwaters are nice people, and since Jacob imprinted on Nessie, we're going to be seeing a lot more of him, anyway."

That was it. Just one simple explanation. Rosalie was naturally displeased, but there was nothing she could do about it. It was Alice's party, anyway.

We got back before the males did. I was willing to bet that Alice had planned it this way so that Jasper wouldn't see her dress. Or maybe being around Alice was making me paranoid.

It seemed like only minutes later that I had risen Nessie from her slumber and we were all clothed in beautiful, lacy dresses. Edward wore his uniform with slightly more enthusiasm than Emmett. Alice still had not revealed her wedding gown; in fact, Alice had decided to vanish until the ceremony. Renee and Charlie arrived early, as did Jasper's friends Peter and Charlotte. The Denali coven was next, consisting of Tanya, Kate, Garrett, Carmen, and Eleazar.

"Oh, Bella, this is such a lovely setup!" gushed Renee, gesturing at the different flowers all scattered about. "And what a creative idea, going with a Civil War theme! I can't believe Jasper still has his great-great grandfather's uniform!"

I shared a brief look with Edward before Renee went off to greet Charlie, who was playing with Renesmee. Once she was out of earshot, I confronted him.

"Is it always like this?" I asked.

Edward smirked. "I assume we'll have to find our own theme eventually, but yes; Alice and Jasper's weddings have always been Civil War-themed...and every time we have to wear lace and old military uniforms." He grimaced, looking at his own uniform.

"Well, if it's any consolation...you look right handsome to me" I teased, adopting a Southern accent and kissing him.

I climbed the stairs to Alice's room, only to find the door closed and locked.

"Alice?" I called. "You're going to be late for your own wedding!" I teased.

"Go on ahead, Bella!" called Alice. "I'll be right out!"

"Oh come on, Alice! You're about to get married again! You don't think I should be allowed to see your dress by now?" I asked.

"I told you; _nobody_ gets to see my dress until I come down those stairs!" retorted Alice. "Now, go!"

Because Edward was spared the role of groom this time, he took up the part of playing the wedding march on the piano. As the music slowly drifted up the stairs, Rosalie ascended the steps.

"Are we ready?" she asked.

"Alice won't come down until we do" I shrugged.

The two of us descended the stairs and slowly walked across the aisle, following behind beautiful little Renesmee, who seemed to be dancing, scattering tiny flower petals as she went.

The three of us took our places on one side of the altar, with Emmett, Jasper, and Edward on the other side. Edward continued to play as Carlisle escorted Alice down the aisle.

The moment I saw her, I understood why Alice had vehemently refused to let anyone see her dress: it was beautiful. No, beautiful wasn't strong enough: it was _gorgeous_. Alice's wedding gown at first appeared to be ordinary enough: a long, sleeveless white silk dress with a slight plunge in the neckline. Lacy cuffs around her long white gloves. It was only when I looked closer that I realized her dress wasn't just white: it was _shining_. While the material was white, I noticed that at certain times, when the light hit it just right, the dress would shine a bright silver, as if it absorbed the light around it.

As Carlisle led her down the aisle, Alice almost seemed to glide along beside him, her bridal train flowing smoothly along behind her. It was almost hard to believe this was the same Alice that had annoyed me so many times; she looked so _elegant_!

When they reached the altar, Carlisle presented Alice to Jasper, who took her hands in his. As he lifted the veil and they both stared deep into each other's eyes, I was briefly reminded of that moment in the airport, when we had returned from Italy. It was at that point, when Mr. Weber declared Alice and Jasper married, that I understood. Watching Alice and Jasper passionately kiss, in that instant, I understood why the Cullens continued to go through the marriage charade time and time again.

It was never a charade, and it wasn't about simply keeping up appearances. It was all about love, and yet, it was so much more than that. When you live forever, when you have all of eternity to spend with the person you love, how can you _not_ celebrate little milestones like having been together for a hundred years? For five hundred? I realized that those of us who knew better were celebrating that kind of love, the kind that only grows stronger with time.

It was in that instant that I knew our family would always be together.

_That's it! I did my best to do Alice justice; hope I succeeded! Please review!_


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